


Winter and Gold

by NeverlandFunhouse



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-11 21:50:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2084379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverlandFunhouse/pseuds/NeverlandFunhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He never imagined that this was the way his life would turn out, to be someone else other than the Kingslayer, to be able to feel happy with how his life turned out. The only downside to that is that he has his father to thank for, but he will never admit that. AU story, mostly fluff, T for language. Two shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This story has already been posted at ff.net, but I decided to post here as well, it's is extremely AU (obviously) and I also changed a little bit their ages, Arya is thirteen and Jaime is twenty-eight. Hope you enjoy it :D

He would be forever in his father's service of that he is sure, he will have to do as his Lord father wants him to do and do it without complaining about the task, after all he had been the one to convince Robert to 'unmake' him from being a Kingsguard, but what his father couldn't or wouldn't allow himself to notice is that, no one stops from belonging to that white cloak, or he is hoping is only a matter of time.

But it wasn't, it was hard for him to shed every vow he had took, well even he could admit that some had been easier than others, what he could never get around was to be at his father's back and call, to be Tywin's expectation of the perfect son, that is why he and his brother are traveling to Winterfell, because the head of House Lannister wants news on North under the disguise of sending his sons to have a better relationship with House Stark.

It had been days of traveling, he had heard more than one complaint from Tyrion, but it was only a matter of time before they stopped near a whorehouse or somewhere with good wine to be served that his younger sibling would shut his impressive mouth and be merry, telling stories and betting over anything – luckily he almost never loses.

Now they see Winterfell, it is grand, impressive, cold looking and demands respect as the Starks demeans it so. He would never forget the face of fucking noble Ned Stark when he had seen the King dead at his feet, he had been so judgmental and talked of lack of honor, but to Jamie lack of honor would have bend his knee and let Aerys burn the city down, in his eyes he had killed one man and spared thousands, including Ned everything-honor Stark.

He and his man pass over the gates and as they get nearer the entrance, he sees Lord Stark his face the epitome of icy and his wife and children waiting in line for the sons of House Lannister, almost all of the children look bored, but two, one of the youngest boys and the younger girl who seems to bounce on her feet every step his horse goes nearer the family.

He jumps from his ride and is followed by his brother and then he sees that the girl becomes happier when she sees Tyrion, he can practically sense his brother's apprehension, but it slowly goes away when there is no evil on the girls grey eyes, only interest. Jamie bows in front of Lord Stark, Tyrion does the same and then Lord Stark and his family are doing the same, he and his brother stifle a laugh when the girl curtsies and is anything but graceful and yet she doesn't seem to care in one bit, but her sister and mother cringe at the sight.

"Lord Lannister, welcome to Winterfell," Jamie can clearly see how it pains Ned Stark to say those words to him, he is sure he is the reason because Ned had never met Tyrion, but he would bet that it is probable that the Stark already hates him for his name only because he is a Lannister, but even so Catelyn gives Ned a look and he continues with the pleasantries introducing – again – his wife, Catelyn moving to his older children (even his bastard) and then he reaches his youngest daughter "Arya and next to her is Bran and Rickon."

"I am sure you are all very tired, your rooms have already been set up" Catelyn says from beside her husband, Jamie nods at her words.

"Thank you, Lady Stark." He says with his most pleasant voice but the smile he has is real when he sees the clear disappointment on Arya's face.

They had been at Winterfell for two days and Arya if not following her brother Jon around was searching for Tyrion, who seemed to come to care for the girl, he would tell her stories, play games of riddles and most of all he would let her pick his brain, and she in turn would laugh with him, would tell him it was okay to pet her direwolf and make him feel truly welcomed into her home. Jamie had also noticed that Tyrion also enjoyed to pass time with Jon Snow, his brother always had a soft spot for bastards.

So at the end of their first week there he had found it odd that the little Lady was not found in the company of his brother or her own brother, he remembered that her mother was always trying to make her go to lessons with her Septa and older sister, but the girl would evade it as much as she could and today perhaps her mother had finally captured her and locked her on the room with her Septa and sister to learn how to needle.

He finds himself under a tree feeling at ease whilst seeing the fall of the snow, it had been some time since he could feel tranquility wash over him, his father never allowed him to have time for himself "You are the next Lord of Casterly Rock and we do not have time to spare" he would say every time he thought Jamie was doing nothing, in truth he wasn't but everyone once in a while needed a breather.

He finds his anger starting to rise when he hears someone coming from behind him, he wanted more time to himself, to his thoughts but there was always something getting in the way of that, even if he had already spent more hours alone in a day than he had for the past years. He doesn't unshed his sword because he turns to see who is coming his way and he sees Arya Stark, cheeks flushed, red rimmed eyes and yet murderous Stark grey eyes, she tries to smile to him but anyone could see it was forced and it came looking like a grimace, something both of them knows that would make her Lady mother cringe at the sight.

"Hello, little Lady," he says and is amused to see her frown, even though she is clearly sad she still has makes sure to show him that she is annoyed with the nickname.

"I am not little, I am thirteen! And I am not a Lady!" he sees her calming her urge to show him her tongue and she knows that would only support his argument to call her little Lady, she crosses her arms in front of her and stomps to where he is sitting, taking a seat next to him, not in the least bothered in propriety and he questions himself if the wild girl even knows what propriety does actually mean, "What are you doing here?"

He gives her a small smile and turns his head to look ahead as he had been doing for the past hours "I could ask you the same," he looks at her from the corner of his eye and sees the way her eyes narrow at him in annoyance.

But she sighs and shrugs "I am getting away from perfect Sansa and stupid Jeyne Poole." Her face morphs in something close to disgust for the two other girls.

"Why?"

Her eyes cast downwards and he can practically feel the sadness coming off of her in waves "It's stupid, they are stupid," she speaks and Jamie is sure she has been telling herself that since whatever happened to upset her had happened. He doesn't say anything waiting for her to say something, she sighs "they kept laughing at everything I did wrong on the needle work and then when they thought I wasn't near to hear they would call me Arya Horseface."

He continues to be silent, knowing that she will continue to speak and she doesn't disappoint him "And I hate that Sansa is always wondering if I am a bastard or not, when she should be the bastard because father says I look like his sister and she must hate that he says that to me, because she wants a idiot to call upon war over her!"

He laughs while shaking his head "War would have happen with or without your aunt," Jamie tells her and she nods her head.

"I know but stupid Sansa doesn't, or pretends she doesn't."

"You shouldn't listen to them" he tells her after they had stayed quiet for far too long, he can already feel the wind and cold picking up, he knows that Arya must be feeling cold by now but would never say anything to him.

"I don't" she says stubbornly and he smiles at her.

"They wouldn't know true beauty, Lady Arya." He says while getting up and offering his hand to her, he is sure that the blush on her face isn't from the cold but from his words; he feels pride in himself bloom for making the wild Arya Stark have such womanly feelings.  


______________________________________________________________________________________________

Three years later.

He could smash his father's head through a wall now, he could not fucking believe it, how could his father ever suggest a thing like that? It had been mildly entertaining to see the face of Ned Stark and notice the angry flush that seemed to grow on his neck, but still it didn't made the situation lighter.

"Calm down, brother." Tyrion says from the arm chair he is sitting on, watching while having a glass of wine his brother pace up and down on their rooms at Kings Landing.

"Calm down? Would you calm down, when your father suggest to the King to unite the Lannisters and Starks through marriage?" his eyes are narrowed dangerously towards his brother, who has at least the decency of not laughing at his face.

"You are lucky father chose her as your wife-to-be, she is more than pleasant and she has grown to be quite a beauty," he laughs now "I think Ned Stark prefers you leering at his daughter than the King, I am certain Cersei will kill him or her if he keeps calling her Lyanna."

Jamie stops pacing and looks at his brother the idea of someone hurting that wolfs blood child-woman made his blood run cold, he could see the resemblance of Lyanna and Arya, but their spirits were much more alike than their beauty were, Robert only thought she was his long lost love because she was the only female Stark that actually looked like a Stark and not a Tully.

Tyrion had always seen the affection his dense brother carried for the child, it had happened from the minute they had arrived at Winterfell, Jamie had found the child amusing. He had seen at the time they had stayed there that after the first week he had risen to her defense and had once given her lessons on how to fight with a sword, he was lucky that Lady Stark had never heard of said lessons only Lord Stark who had appreciated the gesture.

"How do you think she is taking the news, Jamie? She would always say to me that she would never marry, she wanted something else than sitting at a parlor and gossip with other people," Tyrion says and Jamie falls to his chair, passing a hand through his hair "maybe, dear brother, you are what is best for her."

Jamie gives a snort at his brother "I am fifteen years older than her, Tyrion! How am I the best for her?"

"You won't cage her as father did with you, that is the first reason, the second is because Arya actually likes you." Jamie looks at his brother speechless, what was he saying that she liked him? And he asked him about it, Tyrion shrugged "She once told me that you weren't what people said you were, she couldn't see you as a cruel person."

"Why you never said that to me?" Jamie asks with furrowed brows.

Tyrion gives him a sly smile "Didn't need to give you a bigger ego."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:**  I most certainly don't own anything related to Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire.
> 
>  **A/N:**  Hi! I want to thank everyone who left a "kudos", ewan91for leaving a comment, DrakaDark for bookmarking and who read it! So this is the last chapter, I know it is a short story, but maybe one of this days I write one slightly bigger with more chapters, or perhaps interludes of this same story, we'll see. I hope everyone enjoy this last chapter!
> 
> See ya!
> 
> * * *

The next day he finds himself in front of Lord Stark, if he had thought that the man hated him before, now he is certain of it, his eyes are of an angry blizzard and he has to remind himself why he is there in front of someone who clearly despises him, he clears his throat to speak again.

"I wish to speak with Lady Arya, my Lord." He tries again but Ned only narrows his eyes at the blond, Jamie sees him wanting to take his massive sword and end his life right there and not have the marriage happening.

"And what do could you possibly want with Arya?" Ned says and Jamie knows he is only being stubborn, his wife had already said yes to the proposal while he and Arya had been made silent by the Lady of the House and Jamie knows he still doesn't like the idea of his daughter, the one that bears the wolfs blood so thick in her veins to marry a lion.

"I wish  _only_  to speak to her,"  _What else would I want to do with her? Kill her so I don't need to marry her? My Lord Father would find me another in a heartbeat_.

Ned judges him with his icy eyes, nothing portraits in his cold mask but whatever conclusion he came up with Jamie will never know, but the Lord of Winterfell inclines his head ever so slightly "She is on her dance lesson," and he explains to Jamie how to get there.

He should've expected that, he should have seen it coming; Arya would never have dance lessons even if her mother told her to attend, and she would be running away before anyone had moved a muscle. He watches as she fights with her teacher, the two move fluently across the room, every time he thinks the teacher will get a hold of Arya she is slipping away from his grasp and then thrusting her sword attempting to win the fight, after a few more minutes of the perfect choreography, Arya is flying over the air and falling on the ground with a thump and her teacher has her sword on his hand and his sword on her neck.

"What do we say to Death?" her teacher asks and the question makes Jamie furrows his brows, it is clear to him that her teacher is not from Westeros, the fighting style and now his accent gave Jamie enough proof.

"Not today," she says and gives him a nod, another answer to another question he had no idea what it had been, but then the teacher helps her stand and gives back her sword a minute later he is passing by Jamie not a word is passed between them.

Her grey eyes find his and she gives him a small smile, she had indeed grown up, no one would dare say she is a boy like that man from the Wall had once dared to say, but what never changed was her eyes, she could put on the mask that she has matured and learned to control her wild side, but her eyes could never lie to him, she is still as much wolf as she is a woman.

She gives him a small smile and it is better than he could hope, she understands where they both are, it is something that they don't have power over, that they are both being forced into this situation. "Hello little Lady" and then her smile widens and her eyes thank him for starting with something which is normal and was usual for them both.

"I am not little, I am sixteen and I most certainly am not a Lady" she says with a laugh, they spent the next minute looking at the other noticing the changes, the similarities and when they come to any sort of conclusion, Arya takes a step forward and Jamie takes his, there is still a huge amount of space between them, but over time it will diminish, they know it.

"Well, yes now you are a woman grown." He says with such severity that she wants to pummel him hard on his head and she frowns as she usually did when he said something she didn't like.

"You had to bring it up," she complains to him crossing her arms over her chest and the tunic she wears doing nothing to hide the curves she is obviously pushing upwards, he rolls his eyes at her.

"Do you want to only talk about it when I am putting the Lannister cloak on you?" his voice is annoyed and she takes an aggressive step closer to him, her eyes are narrowed dangerously almost like her father's eyes had been moments before.

"No, idiot," he wants to laugh at the way she doesn't care at who she is talking, she is annoyed and she will tell him so, it is refreshing, he had missed that trait on Arya if he was being honest with himself "I thought we could speak about later, not  _now_."

"What is the matter with now, girl?" he asks clearly irritated with the lack of sense of the girl, it is always better to tackle the problem before it becomes something bigger and more unpleasant.

"It's weird!" she admits after being quiet for a few minutes and Jamie had waited patiently for her to speak, he rolls his eyes at her.

"In a few days it won't stop being weird!"

She shrugs "I could hope couldn't I?" she throws back at him with a pout and he can't stop himself from taking a step forward and shaking his head.

"Yes, you could" he concedes and she thanks him and then the silence that settles on them is tense and it makes Arya shuffle where she is standing.

"I won't be the perfect wife everyone is expecting a Lannister to have," she blurts out and her eyes widen, he smiles gently at her not at all angry at the outburst.

"I am not expecting anything out of you Arya," he notices the way she blushes at the way he says her name and she gives him a tense nod, he sees the way she looks at the sword draped over her waist and he knows what it means "and I won't make you stop your  _dance_  lessons."

"You won't? I know people will talk, people already whisper about it here and back home, no one likes it when I want to fight." She is hopeful but only to a certain degree, she doesn't want to completely believe in him for fear that he will indeed take away one of the things she likes doing.

Jamie shakes his golden head "I- I," he sighs and clears his throat remembering what Tyrion had told him, that she is afraid that everyone will want to cage her, make her turn into something she isn't "I won't change you Arya. If fighting makes you happy then you may continue to do so," he sees her opening her mouth to say something and he is sure it is to remind him that it is not proper "if people dare to utter an ill word about it, they will be reminded that they are speaking of the Lannister House."

Jamie doesn't expect it, but he is quick to catch her, she has her arms around his neck and her face is tucked where his shoulder meets his neck, his arms hold her to him, her feet staying inches from the floor. He feels her tears and he understands better than he thought he would ever be able to, he understands that he had given her what few people had offered her – acceptance.

"Thank you." She says with such gratitude, something which he had never heard in his life and he can only nod.

That moment when Jamie looks back was when they came not only to respect profoundly the other but start to appreciate the other, it was not love, no, they would never lie to the other like that.

* * *

_A month later._

His sister hadn't allowed he and Arya to marry at Casterly Rock, she simply could not have it, her brother was marrying and he should be marrying where people couldn't get married if they are not royalty, she had put her foot down at having them marrying on Kings Landing. He had been wise enough not to let Arya and Cersei alone in a room and he was also really fortunate when his bride did not want to have a say on their wedding, the only thing she did ask was that the ceremony took place in front of a weirwood tree and he had backed her up. He also found something to distract her with and to get to know her better, they would train together, she would try and teach him Water Dance and he in turn would show her some Westeros movement she could incorporate on her Water Dance.

The ceremony had gone without a hitch and he had to admit to himself that Arya looked quite fetching with the Lannister colors, she had blush profusely when he had given her a peck on the lips, later when people weren't looking at them she had punched his shoulder and called him an idiot.

It was also later when Arya had showed him that sometimes she would need him to come to the rescue, some drunk fool had gotten up from his seat and called for the traditional bedding ceremony, Arya's hand had jumped to his arm and clutched on it from out of fear and he to give her comfort had put his on top of hers.

"There will be no such thing, sit down" he had growled at the man and everyone knew not to test him so no one mentioned it again, he felt his wife relax her grip on his arm.

"Thank you" she says for the second time to him and he rolls his eyes to her but nevertheless gives her a nod.

"Anyway, I am not good at sharing" she hits his shoulder while blushing madly and then they are smiling at the other, he kisses the top of her head something which he had grown used to do and it never seized to amaze him the way her cheeks would grow rosier, only now her whole face turned a beet red.

And when he catches the icy grey eyes of Ned Stark, so similar to Arya's and yet so different, the man gives him a nod in thanks for protecting his daughter and Jamie would've roll his eyes, of course he would protect Arya, she is now his  _wife_ , but he only nods back to him and he knows that Arya saw the whole exchange because after she draws him to a hug.

And much later when they find themselves on their room at Kings Landing, Arya blushing madly at him the nervousness exuding from her, he draws her to his arms and kisses the top of her head, and after he speaks she relaxes on his arms smiling brightly at him.

_"Only when you are ready."_

Over the months they grow accustomed to the other, Arya tries to find herself at Casterly Rock, it is easier she tells him because Tyrion makes her company when he has business to address and his brother shows her the ropes of maintaining their home and she makes her best to be perfect at everything Tyrion shows her how to do. Jamie is even amazed when he sees her passing time with his father, who treats her as his own daughter and should Cersei see it, she would grow green with envy because Arya is treated sometimes better then what Tywin treats his own children, finding on his Arya a little of himself.

Arya tells him how much she likes to explore the forests with Nymeria and it makes her feel more attached to her new home, he only wishes that she would bring some guardsmen on her little explorations.

"We don't need that," she says while rolling her eyes at him, she is turned on her side looking at him, her fingers are playing with their sheet and Jamie huffs at her, putting an arm under his head, his eyes locked with hers.

"Arya, the forests may not be as safe as you think they are" he tries to make her understand, but he sees he won't win his argument, at least not now.

"Nymeria and I can take care of ourselves." She says firmly and he knows that she can, but sometimes two aren't enough against five or six people.

"Arya…" he begins to say but he is interrupted by her lips pressing against his, something which she had taken a liking of doing especially when he would momentarily forget what he was saying and it would give her more time to escape giggling all the way. She nips on his lower lips and he opens his mouth without question, her tongue start to trace every corner of his mouth, marking him as hers, her right hand pulls him even closer to her while her left start to make crescent moon shapes on his chest, she sighs happily when their tongues meet and then she is groaning when his hands are on her pure skin, massaging her. They don't take it much farther, he knows she is still adjusting to lusting about him and doing something about it, he will wait until she is completely prepared.

After she is tucked safely in his arms he kisses the top of her head and says "I still want you to take the guardsmen with you." He smiles when he hears her huff but she doesn't say anything.

When they do bed, is not out of love but lust that neither can control, they had been out on the woods when a band of bandits had come up to them, Jamie had lost it when one of them had dared to touch his wife and Arya had to admit that she had never been more aroused than seeing Jaime panting after the exertion of fighting with blood on his clothes and arms, she had been even more surprised with herself when after he had gotten clean she still felt it. Arya had not thought twice before throwing her arms and legs around him, marking him as hers and letting Jamie mark her as his.

Nine months later Arya and Jamie were welcoming Edrick Lannister to their growing family.

* * *

_Seven years later._

Jamie was not expecting this for his life, not in his wildest dreams did he ever thought to be this happy or to be so in love with his family, his eldest son – Edrick – is running around with the smallest of the children, Lyanna who is only two years old but is already demonstrating that she has the wolf blood strong in her veins much like the person they named her after and like her mother. But their daughter had his hair color but the Stark eyes and she is absolutely beautiful, much like her older sister, Joanna, but his six year old is completely Stark, icy grey eyes, the same impassive face as her grandfather and dark hair, his father thought it ironic that the two girls couldn't look more apart from the woman they named them after.

He looks where Arya is teaching their four year old twins to hold a sword, Bryden looks happy to slash awkwardly the wind while Nymeros looks very disinterest to even try it, he only does try when Arya says something to him and Jamie is happy to notice that he picks the sword, holding it with almost perfection, but after a few minutes – probably to appease Arya, he drops the sword to the ground and looks around, most likely looking for his uncle Tyrion.

Edrick comes to him with Lyanna on his arms, Jamie reaches for them and Edrick puts Lyanna on his arms "I think she is tired."

"Aren't you?" Jamie asks to his son with a raised brow and Edrick only gives him a big smile and shakes his golden head, his green eyes glimmering in a way that Jamie swears he had only ever seen on Arya.

"I don't get tired like Lya," Edrick answers, he had started to call his little sister that after Arya had told them about her aunt and then his son in a very Arya fashion had thrown many questions direct to his grandfather and Edrick had liked the way which his grandfather would call his sister and Jamie swears that when Edrick had first called her that Ned's icy blue eyes had turned a shade lighter. "Joanna, let's play!" He yells at his sister, Joanna runs to get their wooden swords and he rolls his eyes of course their children would love to fight.

Lyanna snuggles closer to her father and falls into a deep sleep; he kisses the top of her head and continues to watch the scene unfolding in front of him, finding tranquility in watching his family.

"Isn't it a little early for them to practicing with wooden swords?" Tyrion says coming to sit beside Jamie in another chair that overlooks the extensive lawn, Jamie shrugs and even that movement doesn't disturb his daughter.

"I don't know they seem to enjoy it." He speaks the truth, ever since he remembers he had a sword at his hand and it was when he felt the freer in his whole childhood.

Tyrion opens his mouth to answer but is unable to when Nymeros jumps on him "Uncle Tyrion, are you going to read with me today? And are you going to tell me those stories you promised y-yesterday?" Tyrion laughs and Jamie knows that he loves when Nymeros does that, wants the undivided attention of what many in the realm call the Imp, but his son has a deep respect and love for his uncle, maybe because on some days he finds himself a little different from his brothers and sisters, while they are all energy like their parents Nymeros is calm like his uncle.

"Of course I am, dear boy. But go play a little while longer with your mother, look at her face." And sure enough Arya is looking their way with a frown on her face, but she turns a little and calls for her direwolf who comes to Nymeros picking him with her teeth and taking him to Arya, he is laughing all the way and continues to do so when Arya starts to tickle him.

Later, the twins with their dark hair are running to go watch Edrick and Joanna play with the swords, their green eyes twinkling while watching their elder siblings play, Arya comes towards him and Tyrion a blush on her cheeks from playing with their children, she drops on the other chair beside him, she turns to look at him with a smile on her lips.

Tyrion gets up and goes to the children in minutes they are all around him and listening intently to his every word, Joanna would go forward at times and he knows that it is when Tyrion is getting to a more dramatic part of the story. A while later the Septa comes to take Lya to go sleep on her own room and after she had turned, Arya sits herself on top of Jaime, who puts his arms around her, feeling content.

She turns to look at him and then kisses his mouth, it is short but with such love that Jamie brings her closer to his chest and then she says the words he thought he would never hear with such fervor "I love you."

"And I you," he says smiling up at her and then she smirks.

"And I am better at swordplay than you are," he rolls his eyes at her, let her be completely sweet to him in a second and the other tease him, but his smiles only widens, even if he wants to frown knowing that he owes his father this life and he knows that he couldn't have imagined a better wife and partner than Arya Stark, well now, Lannister.


End file.
